


Partner

by Artsy_LaVerne



Category: DuckTales (Cartoon 2017)
Genre: And Louie is too lazy to deal with it all (most of the time), Finding the Right Label, Genderfluid Character, Genderfluid Louie Duck, Hell yeah we talkin bout gender tonight, It seems I talk about Gender a lot on AO3 huh, M/M, NBLM, Nonbinary Character, Nonbinary Louie Duck, Other, Trans Character, Ty is doing his best to be supportive and he doesn't want to misgender Louie, gender euphoria, gender is complicated, mlm, no misgendering, supportive boyfriend
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-21
Updated: 2020-10-21
Packaged: 2021-03-08 18:56:14
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,875
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27131458
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Artsy_LaVerne/pseuds/Artsy_LaVerne
Summary: In which Ty attempts to understand things a little better.
Relationships: Louie Duck/Original Male Character(s), Louie Duck/Ty Cloudkicker (Original Male Character)
Comments: 2
Kudos: 35





	Partner

**Author's Note:**

> Felt the need to christen both the Ty Cloudkicker and Genderfluid Louie Duck tags on AO3. I'm presently recovering from top surgery so I'm having a lot of feelings about gender, as a genderfluid person, myself. If you want to know exactly how I hc Louie's gender identity, I made a post about it on tumblr that does a good job covering it (https://ask-artsy-oncie.tumblr.com/post/624725330098323456/). 
> 
> This doesn't spoil anything for Ty's mainline story, by the way. I honestly don't know if Louie's gender will even really come up, but if it does, know that this fic is slightly uncompliant in that regard. Ty is supposed to know about Louie's gender identity before they get together. But I wanted to write something that both took place during the beginnings of their romantic relationship and covered a lot of ground in regards to gender talk. So Ty probably wouldn't be asking some of the questions he does here because he should already know the answers. 
> 
> If you got this far and you don't know who Ty Cloudkicker is, he's an OC compliant with both the DT17 and Talespin universe, created by my very talented friend, Lolly (@bubb here, and @Lollytea on tumblr - you might also wanna check out @swindle-comic on tumblr), to be the adoptive son of Kit Cloudkicker.
> 
> I also wanna precursor that this fic involves trying out labels for the first time and finding the right one that fits. This is in no way meant to invalidate any of the labels mentioned, even when a character rejects them, there are even labels rejected within the fic that I, myself, use. It's just the nature of figuring things out. 
> 
> This is literally just two gay idiots vibing in a room together, but they're my gay idiots vibing in a room together and I love them lots and I hope you enjoy ♡

"So....... ...boyfriend?" 

Louie shook their head from where they were leaned against Ty's back. The two of them were at the foot of Ty's bed, the bear presently hunched over a book. 

Ty deftly closed his book with a quick swing of his ring finger, "alright, I can't tell if you're noddin' or shakin', get up." 

With an emphasized groan, Louie pushed themself off the warm, inviting support of their boyfriend's back, promptly sprawling out on the comforter to try to reclaim at least some of the relaxation they had lost. 

They both stared at each other for a moment after that poignant display of dramatics. 

Louie shook their head. 

"Gotcha. Okay, so, then, you're not... feeling like a boy right now...?" 

"I'm not a boy right now. Does that change anything for you? Like... were you only interested in dating a guy?" Ty opened his mouth-- "and I mean a guy who's a guy all the time. I know you like girls, too,  _ Tiberius _ ." 

His response was still immediate: "It doesn't make a difference. I like  _ you, Llewellyn _ , whether you're a guy, not a guy, or somethin' in-between," his lips curled into a smirk, "you're still a cute little duckie, no matter what you are." 

Louie's indignant gibberish of a response was all Ty needed to know he did his job right, and it was music to his ears. He turned back to his book 

But something was still bothering him. 

"Soooo.... what am I gonna call you when you're not feeling like a boy?" 

"Wha..?" 

"Y'know, since we're... together. What should I call you if the word 'boyfriend' isn't fitting?" 

"Oh," in truth, they never bothered to plan things out that far. None of their previous boyfriends ever really got close enough to the point where Louie felt that sharing this information would be.... necessary. Their identity was confusing, and complicated, and about as finicky as a roulette wheel. It was a game of chance they loved playing, one without consequences, just results. But a lazy soul like Louie's couldn't have been saddled with a more difficult identity to explain, at least in their own opinion. It was too much work to try to get most people to understand, "No one's ever really asked me that,"  _ because no one who could be asking me that mattered enough _ . 

Ty, on the other hand, was a far cry from any of the guys they've dated before, "Well, I'm askin' you, now," he cracked his knuckles, idly, contemplating for no more than a few seconds before turning back around to face Louie, "Alright. I know you don't like to do this kinda work, how 'bout I just make you an offer?" 

"... We negotiating something?" 

"Sure, in a way, we are. I'm gonna offer you some alternatives to 'boyfriend', and all you have to do is accept or decline." 

Louie rolled their fingertips along the plush fabric of Ty's bed, not sure if they should be ecstatic by the way the bear was going about this, or weirded the hell out. Good ol' Ty, "You're making this sound a lot more conniving than it ever needed to be, you know that?" 

Sure enough, a knowing look made its way across Ty's features, "Oh, I'm aware. But I figure this is right up your alley, and I just wanna make sure you're comfortable. Might as well do it on your terms." 

Louie softened, love in their eyes, " _ Oh Ty _ . You know me so well..." 

A hum, "m'kay, how about soulmate?" 

"You're really busting out the gates with the cheesiest option possible, huh?" 

"What? What's wrong with soulmate?" 

"Nothing, really. But I really can't see you saying it. It's awful romantic, don't you think? Besides, whatever I get called by you should probably have the same weight as 'boyfriend'. I don't wanna be your handsome boyfriend one day, and then your  _ decadent soulmate _ the next," they brought a contemplative finger up to their chin, "actually, now that I mention it~" 

"Nah okay we're movin' on to the next one. How about genderfriend?" 

"Ppfft-- no, that's not me. And I haven't heard that one before - are you looking these up as you go?" 

"That's none yer business. Datemate?" 

"No way. That one's going in like the complete opposite direction of 'soulmate', it's too silly," they held up a finger so Ty would allow them a moment to think, "you can call me your 'date' though. But only if we're actually going on a date." 

The corner of Ty's mouth quirked up a bit. They were making progress, "Gotcha. Okay... partner...?" 

"..." 

"... Lou...?" 

They were staring off into space for a moment, contemplating. Yeah, it sounded alright. Pretty on par with 'boyfriend'. But how did it feel, they wondered, "can you... like... fake-introduce me using that word? I wanna hear it." 

Ty straightened up his posture at the sudden demand to perform, as if he was getting into some kind of character that wasn't just himself, in his room, with Louie, going as far as politely removing his hat, "Hi, nice to meet ya! I'm Ty, an' this is my partner, Louie!" 

_ Wow _ . What a feeling. They were beaming, "Yes." 

"Yeah?" 

"Mhm. I like that a lot. It fits perfectly." 

"Alright, alright, cool. I'll do my best to get it right. And Louie," 

"Mn?" 

"Louie.... you gotta correct me if I get it wrong, m'kay?" 

Louie grabbed at their sleeves uncomfortably, trying not to make eye contact with their boyfriend, "I already told you. I don't really care enough about gender... sorta--... usually--... for it to be a problem when you just default to masculine terms. It's fine. I told you," they began to trail off into a mumble, "it's fine..." 

The duck felt a large, warm hand encompass their own to stop them from fidgeting. Woah.  _ Woah. W o a h. _ Okay. They were decidedly  _ not _ used to Ty acting so openly tender with them, yet. This jerk was still capable of reducing them to a puddle... 

... Not that they were really complaining, right now. This admittedly felt much nicer than it usually did. 

"Hey," 

Ty's blushing little partner drew their gaze up lazily, effectively distracted, "Mn..?" 

"I get that having complicated feelings 'bout who you are can be hard. I been there. And I get that it can be easier to just not talk about it and ignore all the uncomfortable...ness. I know you. And even if you don't  _ usually _ feel uncomfortable no matter how I talk about you, if you ever happen to, I want you to speak up. Correct me. Jus'... let me know somehow, okay? I  _ care _ about you. I've cared 'bout you for the longest time. I wanna make you feel happy and comfortable, jus' cos I wanna," Ty slowly, gently rubbed his thumb over Louie's hand, "Jus' like how you wanted to make me feel less scared and comfortable... more comfortable, I mean." 

Louie looked back and forth between Ty's earnest eyes and their intertwined hands, processing his words and growing redder by the second. They heard a low chuckle, laced with a hint of surprise and pity, as they were pulled into a hug. It was then that they realized they had started crying. Gods, they cried so easily. And a lifetime ago they would worry about Ty ever seeing them cry. Now all they wanted was to take in his warmth and revel in the security being able to cry in front of him gave them. 

Feelings were weird. 

Once the tears began to ebb, they both pulled away from one another gently. Book forgotten, Ty took to laying down beside Louie. 

"How ya feelin'?" 

A quiet sniffle, "Good. I'm feeling real good." 

A proud smile, "Good." 

"What about you? What's going on in your head right now?" 

"I'unno. I guess I'm still kinda tryn'a understand everything properly. Like I understand enough to do what I can to make you comfortable... - I think - but I don't really totally understand what it's like to feel the way you do." 

"I'm just vibin', honestly," Louie sprawled out a little, their right leg overlapping with Ty's left. The bear made a motion for them to continue, so they did, "I don't even have any say in what I'll be tomorrow, or the next day, or so on... or even a few hours from now. Sometimes I can definitively say I feel a certain way, and other days I just exist and everything else is kinda just a blur. Sometimes I care, sometimes I don't, and other times I care how some people treat me, but not how others do. 

"It's weird, I guess, explaining it to people. Because most people are just one thing. And from what I know, a lot of people either do care or don't care so much about gender. But all that's not set in stone for me. It keeps changing. However attached you are to being a boy... I'll be like that, but then later I'll be just as attached to being nothing. I mean-- you know what I mean. At least I hope you do. And maybe at some other point I'll be attached to being like a boy but also not a boy. At once. Like... boy lite. And, even though I've never felt like a girl, sometimes," they exhaled nervously, " _ sometimes _ \- if that term, 'boy lite' makes sense to you - I'll feel... kinda.... girl lite? It really doesn't happen a lot, but it's happened before and I wouldn't rule it out from ever happening again. You're the first person I told about that though..." 

The room went nearly silent for a while as Ty stared at the ceiling, ruminating on what he was just told. Louie watched him carefully. While they trusted him enough to not be outright scared of any potential reaction, that didn't make moments like these any less anxiety-inducing. The wished they had a better distraction than the quiet, ever-present music that played in his room, but they did their best to zero-in on each subtle melody, regardless. 

When it became unbearable enough, they spoke, "Did that help?" 

Slowly - still processing everything, Louie guessed - Ty turned to them with a nod and a smile, "Yeah, I think so. I think I get it better now," but then he got quiet 

And his voice was gentler, "am I ever gonna call you my girlfriend, Louie?" 

A tiny snort, and a smile in return, "Nah. Don't worry about that, I don't think you will. But, uh 

"Thanks. Seriously. Thanks. For being so open to figuring things out. It can be annoying, sometimes, and I'm starting to think that Huey's been rubbin' off on you a little too much," they were rewarded with a strong poke to the side for that retort, "but I'm not unhappy about having actually talked about this. It's hard to do, but it always ends good, at least around my family and you... You're a wonderful boyfriend, honest." 

They leaned in closer to Ty, hugging him awkwardly from the side just for the sake of being near him. Ty returned the favor by wrapping an arm around them, lovingly. 

"That's all I want. To be a wonderful boyfriend for my wonderful partner~"


End file.
